PENSION DEMANDS

Hokitika Guardian, 18 July 1929, Page 7

PENSION DEMANDS

MINISTER’S DILEMMA. INVALIDS’ PENSIONS DESIRABLE WELLINGTON, July 16. The tabling of the annual Pensions Report in the House of Representatives is a.ways the signal for a long discussion, during which many distressing cases of failure to come within the scope of the many \pensions systems are quoted to Parliament, and a general demand is made for extension of the benefits. This occurred to-day, and the Minister of Pensions, the Hon W. A. Veitch, showed his appreciation ol members’ attitude though he reminded them that the responsibility for finance .vas that of the Government. If members could quote many anomalies hou much more could he, as Minister, realise the difficulties of the situation, for they were centred upon him. / Minister would be stony-hearted indeed if he did not feel a good deal oi sympathy for cases which had been discussed. Far from him to argue that there was no necessity for extending the pensions system. From time t< time our pensions systems had beei extended and anomalies removed, buf this sometimes created further arfomal ies, though there Lad been a definite improvement, and notwithstanding existing disabilities New Zealand couk" be proud of its pensions. To show that there had been sym pathetic administration the report dis closed last *year the increased expenditure was £113,294, while reduction' totalled £5241, making a net increase of £108,053, “and the country couk' afford the money,” declared Mr Veitch He aid not deplore this expenditure RECIPROCAL PENSIONS. The Minister mentioned in respons. to suggestions for a reciprocal pensio arrangement with Australia and Eng land that he had been iii correspond ence with those countries on the sub ject, but nothing had been completed Even if this could be the case, Nev Zealand would still have seriously t< consider the financial position beforcompleting any such agreements. The Hon W. Downie Stewart (for iner Minister of Finance) : We would got the worst of whatever the arrange m-ent. Mr Veitch concurred, adding the the ideal would be Empire rcciprocTt' but it was not practicable, as the cos would be far beyond the resources o New Zealand and probably other pari of the Empire. Of all the demand, made for extension he thought that o invalids’ pensions most desirable. If i widow was eligible for pension on a count of her children, then, argued Mi Veitch. surely a wife with an invalid husband unable to ework should receivsome assistande to enable her to educate her children.